How to Take a Long Screenshot on Xiaomi: The Complete Guide

Modern Xiaomi smartphones, which are based on the shells MIUI or the new HyperOS, have huge displays with high resolution. However, even such screens are not always able to fit all the necessary information in one frame.

The scrollable screenshot feature solves this problem elegantly by allowing multiple frames to be stitched together into one long image. In the Chinese giant’s devices, this tool is built deep into the system and works stably, but has activation features that not everyone knows about. In this article, we will examine the nuances of creating long screenshots, from standard methods to hidden settings.

You no longer have to search for third-party apps on Google Play, which are often overloaded with advertising and require unnecessary permissions. Xiaomi's built-in algorithm copes with the task qualitatively, automatically aligning the joints and removing unnecessary interface elements. Let's look at how to activate this mode and what the limitations are.

Standard method through the notification panel

The simplest and most reliable method available to every Redmi or Poco smartphone owner is to use a standard button combination. Once you've taken a normal screenshot, a thumbnail of the shot appears in the upper right or left corner (depending on the MIUI version), and that's where the key to creating a panoramic image lies.

You don't want to remove the notification or swipe it right away. You need to quickly click on the thumbnail or the Scrolling button that you see next to the edit and delete buttons. If you're late and the notification disappears, you can't start the gluing process and you'll have to take the picture again.

Once the mode is activated, the system will automatically start scrolling down the screen, and you will see the frame boundary lower, capturing new content, and the process will stop automatically when it reaches the end of the page, or you can manually interrupt it at any time by touching the screen.

⚠️ Warning: Auto-scrolling can cause the interface to twitch, which is normal for some apps that aren’t optimized for Android standards.

It's important to understand the difference between a normal image and a composite image. A panoramic image has a non-standard aspect ratio and can weigh significantly more, taking up space in memory. The file is stored in the gallery as a normal image, but requires vertical scrolling when viewed.

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Use Do Not Disturb before creating a long screenshot so that incoming notifications don’t spoil the composition or block the text.

Use of the menu button and gestures

For those who prefer one-handed control or have damaged physical buttons, Xiaomi has an alternative method, which is based on calling an additional menu after capturing the screen, which is especially convenient when you need to quickly take several pictures in a row without unnecessary fuss.

After creating a basic frame (for example, triple tapping on the screen, if this function is enabled in the settings Additional → Screenshot), a floating menu appears at the bottom of the screen, which you need to select an icon that resembles a sheet of paper with a down arrow or a 1: 1 symbol with a dotted line.

The algorithm of actions in this case is as follows:

• 📱 Take a screenshot in any convenient way (buttons, gestures, voice).
• 👆 In the menu that appears, select the Scroll button).
• 🔄 Wait for the automatic scan to end or stop the process by touching.
• 💾 Save the result by clicking on the tick or save button.

Sometimes users are faced with a situation where the scroll button is inactive (gray).This means that the current application does not support the creation of composite images or the content on the screen is static and does not have a scrollable area.

Setting up automatic scroll mode

The latest versions of HyperOS and MIUI 14 have a very useful feature, which is to automatically switch to scrolling mode, so you don't have to press additional buttons every time you take a picture, and the system recognizes that the content is long, and suggests that you continue to capture it.

To activate this option, you need to go to deep system settings. The path may vary slightly depending on the regional firmware, but it is usually located at Settings → Additional Features → Screenshots. Here you need to find the Auto Scroll switch and put it into active position.

When this feature is turned on, the AI algorithm analyzes the contents of the screen, and if it sees a list, a web page, or a chat, it automatically prompts you to lengthen the frame, which makes it much faster, because you don't have to keep track of the timer of the notification disappearing.

But it's worth noting that automation isn't always perfect, and in some cases, it may not recognize the scrollable area in specific applications, such as bank clients or secure e-book readers, and in such situations, you have to go back to the manual method.

Working with different applications and limitations

Not all apps are equally good at creating composite screenshots, and this is due to the peculiarities of rendering content in Android. For example, in Chrome or Mi Browser browsers, the feature works perfectly, capturing even “lazy” images that are loaded as you scroll.

Social media and messaging are more complicated. Telegram or WhatsApp can create long screenshots without any problems, but artifacts can arise in places where there are floating interface elements, such as a microphone button or a text input field, and the system tries to ignore them, but not always successfully.

There are technical limitations that you should be aware of:

• 🚫 Maximum resolution: The final image cannot be infinite, usually the limit is about 10-15 screen-screen.
• 🎥 Video content: If there is a video in the scrollable area, it may stop or be displayed incorrectly.
• 🔒 Protected Content: In Applications with DRM-Security (Netflix, banking applications) screenshots are often blocked completely.

⚠️ Note: When you take a long screenshot in games, the result can be distorted, as game engines render the image differently from the standard Android interface.

If you notice that screenshots are black or cropped in a particular app, try updating the app itself via Google Play or GetApps. Developers often fix compatibility with newer versions of MIUI.

Resolving problems and errors in the creation

Despite the system's fine-tuning, users sometimes encounter errors. The most common problem is that a screenshot is created, but the scroll button does not appear. First of all, check if the device's memory is full. The system requires free RAM to process and glue several frames into a single file.

Another common complaint is "breaking" or text bias at the frame joints, which happens if you touch the screen during automatic scrolling or if the animation in the app was running late, in which case you better remake the picture, ensuring that the smartphone is completely stationary.

The table below will help to quickly diagnose the problem:

In rare cases, resetting system interface settings helps. Go to Settings → Apps → All Apps → Find System Interface → Clean. This won’t delete your personal data, but will return factory menu settings and notification curtains.

Editing and saving long images

Once you've created a long screenshot, the system will prompt you to edit it. Xiaomi's built-in editor allows you to trim the extra edges, which is often necessary, since automation can capture the bottom navigation bar or the "bang" of the screen. Use the tool Castor for the perfect result.

Markup is also available. You can add arrows, text, or marker important parts of a long list, which is especially useful for creating instructions or reports. All changes are saved in the new file, the original remains unchanged.

The default format is JPG, which provides good compatibility and low file weight. However, in the camera and system settings, you can sometimes find the option of saving in PNG. For long screenshots with text, the PNG format is preferable, since it better preserves the clarity of fonts without compression artifacts.

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A long screenshot in PNG format takes up more space, but guarantees the readability of small text even after sending in messengers.

Remember to periodically clean the Screenshots folder. Long images take up 5-10 times more space than normal ones. The accumulation of such files can quickly lead to a shortage, which will negatively affect the speed of the entire smartphone.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)